Ruth Eva Owen Whitelegg trained as a photographer for the Royal Canadian Air Force and served at RCAF Centralia, Ontario, during World War Two. Her photo album gives us a glimpse into wartime history, crammed with candid snapshots of life on a Canadian air training base.

A wartime scrapbook kept by Alice Spackman of Okotoks, Alberta, stuffed with letters, photographs and clippings, is the foundation for a new book called She Made Them Family. It’s a fascinating glimpse of life in a small prairie town during World War Two.

There’s a reason why it’s called The Greatest Generation – and Yvonne Valleau Wildman of Kindersley, Saskatchewan, aged 92, is a shining example. She had a hardscrabble childhood, served her country with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War Two, farmed for six decades, and raised seven children.

Now 96 years old, Georgina Harvey was a young woman from a well-known family in Kelowna, British Columbia, when she joined the air force in 1943 and trained as a photographer. Her photo album reveals a fascinating slice of life in uniform.

Imagine saying goodbye to your husband or son, knowing that you will not see his face or hear his voice for years -- maybe forever. That’s why mail during wartime was absolutely critical, both for the boys over there and the folks back home. And never more so than at Christmas.

Greetings

During my research into Canada’s wartime past, I uncovered some fascinating facts and anecdotes. I’ll share them here and welcome feedback and stories of your own.

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